This is not your Father's Sports Blog. Unless, of course, I'm your Father. Then it is.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A is for AJ

White Sox Homerun hitters from A.J. to Zeke

A is for A.J.

AJ "The Ajitator" Pierzynski being punched by Cubs backstop Micheal Barret in 2006

A.J Pierzysnki is an easy guy to hate. Unless of course he plays for your team as he did from 2005 to 2012 for the White Sox. All his attributes that I hated when he played for the Twins (his ability to get the best out of his pitchers and his ability to make the most of every opportunity ,offensively and defensively, to give his team a chance to win) I fell in love with when he played for the White Sox . These attributes are most remembered to the outside world when he got safely to fist base in a 2005 ALCS against the Angels by running on a third strike that had not been called the third out of the inning. The pinch runner for Pierzynski later scored the winning run of the game.

A.J. hit 118 of his so far 177 MLB home runs with the White Sox. This puts him 16th on the ChiSox all time home run list. Through his career so far, Pierzynski has averaged 15 home runs for every 162 games played. His first and last years with the CHI SOX were his most prolific home run totals, hitting 18 in 2005 and 27 in 2012. Pierzynski ended last season with the St. Louis Cardinals and is signed with the Atlanta Braves through the end of 2015.